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@with gisten @anni ffice. FERDINAND T. L. BOYLE, Olin-NEW YORK, N. Y. Letters Patent No. 71,576, datedDecemer 3,1867.

-IllllPItOVEMENT IN RUNNER EOE WEEELED VEHICLES.

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tlge rtetuls ruimt n in tigen Enters zttnt mit milking ont nf tige same.

TO ALL WHOM I'l MAY CONCERN:

Be vit known thit I, FERDINAND T. L. BoYLE, of the city 'of New York, in the'county of New York, and State of NewYork, have invented a new and improved Runner `for Wheeled Vehicles, which is adjustable or capable of being'attached to or detached from such vehicles at pleasure and l do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, and of its mode or manner of operation, reference being had to thel accompanying drawings and to theletters of reference marked thereon, andI making a part of this specification. l

My invention consists in such'a construction and arrangement of'sleigh-runners, that they can be easily and securely attached to the wheel of a carriage or wagon without removing any part of such-carriage or wagon, and by which any such wheeled vehicle can be quickly converted into a. sleigh, and .so that such runners can be detached when necessaryor desired, and the vehicle .be again changed from a sleigh to one running on wheels.

It is very desirable, as a matter oi' convenience and economy, to be able to convert a4 wheeled vehicle inte a sleigh, and viceversa, so that the same vehicle can be used V.both as a summer and a winter conveyance. It

vhas been endeavored to accomplish this in vvarious ways, vbut in all, so far as I am aware, it has been necessary to removesorne' portion of the wheeled vehicle in order to attach the runners.v obviate such necessity by my invention.

It also often happens, by reasonl of sudden changes in the weather, as by the fall of heavy bodies of snow, or by the suddenmeltingof the snow, from heavy rains or other cause, that wheeled vehicles or sleighs are ren vdered wholly unfit for use, and further progress'with them is arrested until a change of vehicle can be effected.

Under the most favorable circumstances, such change can be effected only at much inconvenience and expense, and frequently cannot be effected at all andthe hindrance and delay created thereby, not only cause much pecuniary loss, but in many cases, as in the transportation trains'of armies, and under circumstances of similar necessity, produce ygreat distress and suffering,l if not more serious evils.

The 'use and application of my invention render it possible and easy to convert, in a vey short time, any wheeled vehicle, without removing its wheels, or changing any of its parts, ory removing or displacing its load,

into a sleigh fitted for use assuch, and again to convert such sleigh, at any time required, into'a wheeled vehicle l l The several parts or pieces necessary to efect such changes are also so few and compact in form, that they can beconvenientl'y carried along with any carriage or wagon, and thus be athaud' ready for ready for use.

application and use, as emergencies may arise and render them necessary.

The drawingsshow my invention as applied to a light carriage, and also ,to a heavy road or transportfwugon. Plate -I shows a wheel of alight carriage with a runner attached thereto, and also detached views of different parts of the'connections, and a reduced representation of a carriage converted into a sleigh.Y Plate II shows awheel of a transport-wagon having a runner ixcd thereto, and 'showing also detached views of parts of the connections. e I will first descrbethe application of my invention to a lighty carriage, and then es applied to a transportl wagon.

The runner A is made substantially like those used in ordinary sleighs, and is to be shod in any suitable manner, and the width of such runner will correspond substantially with that of the wheel under which is to be placed. To such ruimer are fixed a clamp and two braces, gg, the clamp being placed about midway of the horizontal part of the runner, and perpendicularly under the centre of the wheel or its axle, and the braces, i

called the front and rear or toe and heel'braces, generally at an angle of about forty degrees with the centre one; By means of such clamps and braces, the wheel and runner are firmly secured 'to each other, so as to ullow of no m'tion of the one upon the other. To the-upper side of the runner, at the place of location of the clamp above mentioned, is iixed a bed-plate, K, which takes the wheel, having its upper surface formed us'.- shown in Figure 3, by the intersection of two grooves, each having a greater curve than the section of thetire or circum= ference of the wheel, -so as to give to any Awheel which may stand upon it, four points of contact, and thereby prevent any motion of the wheel on such bed-plate either forwards or sideways; Such'construction of bed-plante also-russists inmore securely andtghtly connecting the wheel and runner together. To the runner on each sideof` such bed-plate, ening which the Wheel links 6 are best made receives the strap, lin I is brought Lisa v being fixed to the runn d, the ends of the cross-hare, turned, the cross-bar is rai'se I prefer this arrangement o the use of straps, which are liab each side of the central clamp,

- an angle of forty degrees from sides of a triangle, substantial] rmness to th'e combined struct or force applied to draw forward Figure 6, and at the front end of Close against each other, and the the wheel so as to cease Figures;

eye, iig. 5, in the runner, ment of construction can also be a brace, as shown in iig. 1, Plate I.

The wheel of the carriage be clamps and braces are fixed and' carriage is'converted, with Plate II shows a construction o The runner A is made h in the former case described. may, perhaps, beet and cheapes envy Su is 4fixed a staple, a,

to the bed-plate.

to pass under the centre portion.

ure,

e upper end of such bra chains and a" clamp, re described.

nst any side thrust or strain that the ru ng together,

closely section of th g. 1. s the the runner in ii strapc prevent supporting it. 6 and 7 are sections thr eye i, thus givingi by means of the sid d in any convenient forwards, ces are shown rigidly t' runner, to correspo oh braces,

be made substantially as shown g. 1, and also i be dplate like It acture between its centre and extr as in iig. 5. This arranigem and connect with the'runner near th that they can when detached fro displacement or removal of any ofi and clamp, and braces adapted fo nd with the wagon, however, will requir by tighthed-plate and securely connected toV the runner. The n 1n Fifrures l, and 12, 'and 13, Plate I with the upper side that in which the links, staples, and stra-p before described lace thereof.- In such case, the bed-plato, instead of es 3, 4 and 5, so as`to allow a chain, and hooks over great strength and ,andso that the power tantially inthe line of which are rmly 'strap-link, It, and staple n Figure 14, or by a staple and eye, as shownvin The strapy' brings the wheel and bed-plate continually braceg in anymanner being moved outward away from by which 'the straps j and 7c may be dispensed or an iron stirrup extending upon each sido rod o, in which is-a. and securely held there.

ew of which is shown strength,` with graceful prowhich passes through the runner, and is such eye or stud It by a hinge-joint, so that its hus enabling such brace t e passes a brace-rod, j', which fastens to the runner at creased strength to the brace g, and alsor strengthening emities.l The brace g isheld in any Such arrangement of brace and-brace-rod as to give a moreartistic appearance heel,` and is securely and tightly conent of brace I consider preferable to the w nner may at any time receive, anviron een` the wheel and runner, `to the arie anner.` From such main brace Z, side etoe and heel braces. In fig. l, fixed together. The-detached Figures 15 and 16 show, m the runner and axle be folded Figures 4, 6, 7, Plate II, show a and sufiicient m ner placed thereunderin proper position, the which can be done in a verylittle time, and the ts parts, into a sleigh ready for use.

r a heavy transport-wagon.

and has fixed to it three braces and clamps, as c todbe stronger than for lighter vehicles, and i-n iig. 1, as they can be made of iron, malleable brace against the -plate tol o vadapt itself to wheels of all l or wrought, and can be easily attached to or detached from the wheel, and also the runner. With each lclamp is used a bed-plate, which may be constructed in the form hereinbefore described, or may have a single curve, as

shown at c, Plate II. The braces or clamps B are bolted to each side ofthe runner, and are reduced in size at the top so as'to have a screw-thread cnt upon them to take a nut. A clamp or cross-piece, E, which may be made slightly concave on its under side, as shown in fig. 2, so as to hug closer the felloe, passes across and over the felloe, and isbrought down tight upon 1t by the nuts on the ends of the braces B, and thusrseeures the wheel to the 'bed-plate and runner. 'Ilie toe and heel clamps are fixed to therunners in substantially the same manner as the centre one, and clamps or eross-pieces E E confine the wheel thereto, as before described. 'The'bedplates in the toe and heel clamps are made movable or adjust-able, so as to be adapted to wheels of different diameters. This is accomplished by having the bed-plate or bolster D supported on a screw, F, which passes into and rests in the bed-piece C', and by turning which the bolster and bed-plate D may be lowered or raised, as required.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the toc clamp, showing'the construction of the several parts, and their permitted motion upon each other.

A strong brace, H, extends from the runner, near the centre clamp B2, to the axle, and is fastened thereto by al clamp orband, I. Side braces H H', extend from the runner, connecting therewith near the toe and heel braces, and uniting to the main brace H near or at the axle. Such braces may be secured to the runners in the manner shown in gs.`2 and 3, or by a. hook and eye, as illustatedin figs 4, 5, 6,and 7.

What I claimas my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 'i 1. Connecting a runnerl to the wheel of any vehicle by`means of a central clamp orfastening, embracing the bottom ofthe wheel, and perpendicular under the centre of the Wheel or its aigle, and of a front and rear brace located substantially as described, extending from the runner to the wheel, and inclined inwards toward theaxle, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. o l

2. In combination with such a runner so constructed, the arrangement of the flexible chain d and tighteningsrewf, `and of the movable bracesgg and brace-rod o, either separately or in combinution, for binding and hold.

ing the Wheel 'securely tothe runner, for the puposes set forth.

8. In combination with such runner, the construction and arrangement of the hinged brace g, and bracerod j', and chai-n clamps, as shown in gs. 18 and.19, substantially as and for the purposes-set forth.

l4. In combination with such a runner, the arrangement of' the fixed clamps and braces B B1 B2, Plate II, and the cross-pieces E, for securing the wheel and runner together. p

5. In combination with such arunner, the arrangement of the adjustable bed-plate or bolster D, orits equiYalenn-toadaptthe length of the front and rear braces'to Wheels of different diameters, for the purposes 'set forth.

v6. The construction oftliebed-plate K for taking the wheel, havinga' surface formed lwitha single concave, or by the intersection of two eoncaves, as described, so as to lsecure two or more distinct and independent points of bearing or contactfor the wheels, for the purposes set forth.

7. In combination with such a runner, the use and arrangement of the braces Zm m', for connecting tho' vrunner -and axle, to protect the runner against side thrust or strain.

8. Forming the side'braces m m. or H H', with a hook and shoulder at either or both ends, substantially -as shown in igs. 4, 6,.7, Plate II, for 'the purposes set forth.' l

FERDINAND` T. L. BOYLE.'A

Witnesses:

lS'. D. LAW, JAMES T. LAW. 

